Depressive Symptoms, Emotional Aggression, School Adjustment, and Mobile Phone Dependency Among Adolescents with Allergic Diseases in South Korea.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the effects of depression, aggression, and school adjustment on mobile phone dependency among South Korean adolescents, and to identify the differences in these paths among adolescents with or without allergic diseases.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, a nationwide multistage cluster sampling survey, was used for this cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 1937 first-year middle school students in South Korea, using self-reported questionnaires. Multiple-group structural equation modeling was used to test the differences of the critical ratio for the variables depressive symptom, emotional aggression, school adjustment, and mobile phone dependency between adolescents with allergic diseases and those without allergic disease.

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms and emotional aggression were significantly higher in the allergic disease group. Significantly different effects were found on the path of depressive symptoms to school adjustment and depressive symptoms to mobile phone dependency.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher depressive symptoms in allergic disease adolescents had a greater negative effect on school adjustment and a more positive effect on mobile phone dependency. Healthcare professionals need to be concerned not only with the physical symptoms of adolescents with allergic diseases but also with psychological issues, such as depression.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Early assessments and interventions for depressive symptoms in adolescents with allergic diseases could help prevent over dependency on mobile phones, as well as maladjustment to school.